Total Body Workout: Top To Toe Rejuvenation

If you find yourself too busy to make it to the gym 5-6 times per week or you feel that your body is over trained and you need a refreshing change, the total body workout may be just the thing you need.

At first you may wonder how you can ever work your whole body in one workout. After all, most people are so accustomed to performing 4-5 exercises per body part for around 12-20 sets that they cannot imagine properly training a body part with anything less.

The total body workout involves a focus on basic, multi-joint movements. These exercises stimulate the most response from the body in terms of not only the muscle fibers recruited, but also in the release of the necessary hormones to promote muscular growth. Also, working all major muscle groups in one session will have a synergistic effect on your body’s response to the training session. In short, your body should respond well to this type of training, especially if it is a drastic change from what you have been currently doing.

These exercises work because they stimulate muscle growth. These are what the old-time greats focused on. So do them.

Chest Flys (Db)

The chest fly is a way to work the major muscles of the chest with a focus on the outer part of the chest. You’ll most likely need to use a lighter weight for flies, and you should take care when lowering the arms down to avoid hurting the shoulders or losing control of the weights.

Lie on the floor, bench or step. Hold weights over the chest with the palms facing each other.

Keeping the elbows slightly bent, lower the arms out to the sides and down until they’re level with the chest.

Keep the elbows in a fixed position and avoid lowering the weights too low.

Squeeze chest to bring the arms back up as though you’re hugging a tree.

Repeat for 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 16 reps

Bent-over Rows (Db)

Kneel over side of bench by placing knee and hand of supporting arm on bench. Position foot of opposite leg slightly back to side. Grasp dumbbell from floor.

Pull dumbbell to up to side until it makes contact with ribs or until upper arm is just beyond horizontal. Return until arm is extended and shoulder is stretched forward. Repeat and continue with opposite arm.

Tricep Extension (Bb)

Lie down on a secure weights bench and have a training partner pass the barbell.

Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands should be 2-8 inches apart.

The arms should be locked out directly over the chest, with the bar straight ahead of your chin.

While the upper arms remain stationary lower the bar by bending at the elbows until the bar reaches your forehead.

Power the weight up by extending the arms.

The elbows should still be pointing upwards during the whole movement. Exhale as the Barbell is pressed or the arms straightened, then inhale as the Barbell is lowered